Fighting malware and spam

Exploit

Attack using vulnerability in software

An exploit is an attempt to take advantage of a flaw or vulnerability in an operating system or piece of software. Serious vulnerabilities, particularly when found in core parts of the system or in network-facing software such as browsers, can be exploited to allow attackers complete system access.

Many types of malware, particularly worms, use exploits to spread. Some of the most widespread worms, such as SQL/Slammer, have made use of vulnerabilities in network software to find and access vulnerable hosts. One of the most common forms of exploit is the buffer overflow attack.

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